• Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe collapsed while giving a speech in Nara city, reports say.
  • Japanese news outlets reported that gunshots were heard at the scene.
  • Kyodo News reported that Abe, who was taken to hospital, was showing no vital signs.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe collapsed while making a speech in the city of Nara, around one hour from Kyoto, according to local media reports.

Japanese news outlet NHK reported that Abe was seen falling to the ground bleeding at around 11.30 a.m. local time. NHK reported that its reporter heard a gunshot going off in the vicinity while Abe was speaking. 

The former prime minister appeared to be showing no vital signs after the attack, Kyodo News reported, citing information from the Japanese authorities.

NHK shared what appeared to be a video of the scene, which showed chaos and smoke, and what looked to be people surrounding a prone Abe. 

 

The Nara City fire department confirmed to the Japanese news outlet Nikkei that Abe was airlifted via helicopter to a hospital in Nara prefecture. According to Nikkei, Abe had been speaking near the Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara as part of a scheduled series of political speeches to stump for Liberal Democratic Party candidates. 

Kyodo News also reported that the Nara prefectural police had arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder. There were around 30 people at the scene, per Yahoo! Japan. 

Before the incident, Abe was heavily involved in campaigning for candidates and was seen making speeches and meeting crowds of people while touring various prefectures. A large gathering of his supporters had turned up in Hyogo to see him speak on Thursday. 

 

Before the incident occurred, Abe was meant to travel to the nearby city of Kyoto to stump for Akira Yoshii, a former Kyoto City assemblyman, at a street campaign event scheduled for 12.30 p.m. local time on Friday. 

The Japanese government has not made a formal announcement on the matter. The Japanese Prime Minister's press office and the Nara prefectural police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Abe, 67, was Japan's longest-serving prime minister and was in office from 2006 to 2007, and again from 2012 to 2020. He resigned in 2020 citing health issues, making way for his successor, Yoshihide Suga. 

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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